Walking While Texting Could Get You Killed, Among Other Things

The number of emergency room visits for distracted pedestrians is steadily climbing, and according to The Washington Post, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' Alan S. Hilibrand blames it on people looking at their smartphones and tablets while walking instead of their surroundings. He's even coined a term for them: digital deadwalkers.

“We’ve had people come into the emergency room who were hit by cars. They’re looking at their phone and not paying attention to the fact that a vehicle is making a turn.”

The National Safety Council's Deborah Hersman says, “Everybody walking down the sidewalk either has their headphones on or is looking down at their phone. It’s a sad commentary on our society when you look at how distracted people are.”

But aside from the possibility of blindly walking into danger, do you think there are other problems with a society that looks at their little screens rather than their surroundings?